Grottini Retail Environments has teamed up with "Barilla Customer Collaboration Center" situated within the Academia Barilla in Parma which was founded in 2004 to promote Italian food culture as a unique heritage in the world. "The Barilla Customer Collaboration Center is a meeting point for our customers, large retail companies, not only to develop innovative business strategies but also to allow us to better understand and respond to shoppers' needs by sharing these insights with our customers", explains Paolo Zazzi, Barilla Customer and Shopper Marketing Global Director.

Grottini has actively collaborated on the planning and implementation of a welcoming and highly technological and innovative environment in which suitable growth opportunities and joint business programs can be planned. It is a place where Barilla listens carefully to their customers' needs and their strategic priorities and, at the same time, conveys its own family business identity, by making its know-how and product excellence available in order to find new ways to better serve shoppers.

"30 people from different countries worked on this project. It took six months for the design and 8 weeks for the implementation. During all stages we worked closely with the Grottini team and the architect Keith Gibson", continues Zazzi. "We wanted to welcome people and make them feel at home: this is our company philosophy that permeates every single material and detail".

Along the lengthy corridor at the entrance, customers are welcomed by large screens and video walls describing Barilla's values, their great focus on sustainability throughout the supply chain and ingredients used. Video contents can be easily modified by Barilla employees through an iPad App which manages all the audio and video contents of the Customer Collaboration Center.

The Collaboration Room is a room where sitting around a square table, Barilla managers can listen to customers to discuss business and operational priorities through interactive technologies and simulation tools. It is not just by chance that the Collaboration Room was created within the Academia Barilla kitchens: just a tap and the curtains rise revealing the windows to see Barilla chefs at work.

The Virtual Room is a 3D cinema where you can see the promotional activities and tools that Barilla dedicates to the in store product display and the shopping experience. The 3D contents show the impact of the retail mix choices by exploring a virtual store.

Academia Barilla's cooking courses and the dinner in the Library allow customers to end their sensory journey into the Barilla world by enjoying the excellence of its products.

Founded in Parma in 1877, Barilla is now one of the most important Italian food companies and a leader in the worldwide pasta business and Italian bakery products. With a unique taste and nutritionally balanced, Barilla products stand out thanks to constant attention to quality.